Revisiting the Roles of the University in Regional Economic Development: A Triangulation of Data

There is a general understanding that university plays a crucial role in regional development under the current age of knowledge economy. At the same time, we have observed a fair number of counter‐evidentiary studies, demonstrating several regions that do not thrive despite strong research universities or other patterns of development in the absence of research universities. However, they are based on case studies of individual universities or regions, and the findings currently cannot be generalized. Another set of studies that have challenged the effect of universities at the nationwide scale and demonstrated its disproportionately small impact of universities, but their scope is limited to spin‐offs, patents, and license activities. In this article, we propose to investigate this subject more systematically by triangulating three methods: 1) national‐scale regression models with Business Dynamics Statistics and National Establishment Time Series data, 2) a regional survey of IT and life science firms in four so‐called “second tier regions,” and 3) a microeconomic firm‐level analysis based on interviews with founders of technology intensive firms. Furthermore, we test the roles of university beyond those explicit, direct measures of spin‐offs and patents by analyzing the firm formation rate and firm growth rate at the regional level, as well as the sources of growth at the company level. All results point in the same direction: The research function of the university has been overstated, and the teaching function of the university has been underappreciated. These findings provide profound implications for the policy of regional development.     

The Effects of Universities on Local Retail,Service, and F.I.R.E. Employment: Some Cross-Sectional Evidence

This article examines the question of whether the traditional view of a complementary relationship between universities and local businesses is still appropriate or whether auxiliary activities and other competitive elements have changed this relationship. Cross-sectional data on over 3100 counties and 3300 institutions are used to analyze the effects of university enrollment and auxiliary activities on county-level employment in the retail, financial, and service sectors. Findings indicate that the negative effects of university auxiliary activities are confined to relatively small counties, are small in magnitude, and are more than offset by the positive effects of spending by universities and students. The overall impact is positive, is more pronounced in more populous counties, and has increased over time.     

University‐industry‐government triple helix relationship and regional innovation efficiency in China

By utilizing panel data of provinces in China from 2012 to 2018, this paper measured innovation efficiency of each regional innovation system and the triple helix relationship of the university‐industry‐government system, then, empirically investigated the influence of the triple helix relationship on regional innovation efficiency. It has been found that: (1) the regional innovation efficiency in China increases slightly year by year, the regional differences are obvious, and university–industry bilateral cooperation is the tightest; (2) cooperation between universities and industries is most beneficial to improve regional innovation efficiency, cooperation between universities and governments significantly promotes scale efficiency in the long run, cooperation between industries and governments significantly promotes regional innovation comprehensive efficiency and pure technical efficiency, meanwhile inhibits scale efficiency, coordinated relation among universities, industries, and governments is beneficial to improve regional innovation comprehensive efficiency and scale efficiency. The research results provide useful theoretical support and policy enlightenment for improving regional innovation efficiency.     

Geographical Spillovers and University Research: A Spatial EconometricPerspective

Using data for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, an earlier study of aggregate local geographic research spillovers generated by universities (Anselin et al.1997) was extended to a sectorally disaggregated level. These findings suggest the existence of significant sectoral variation with respect to local university effects on innovation. Apparent differences were found across sectors with respect to the “mix” of applied local knowledge inputs in general, and the extent to which university research plays a role in innovation in particular. The main conclusion is that local university spillovers seem to be specific to certain industries, such that at the two‐digit SIC level, no university spillover effects are at work in the Drugs and Chemicals (SIC28) and in the Machinery (SIC35) sectors. On the contrary, very strong and significant university research spillovers are evidenced in the Electronics (SIC36) and the Instruments (SIC38) industries. These spillovers extend beyond the boundary of the MSA within a 75‐mile range from the central city.     

Inside the Great Recession: University Products and Regional Economic Development

This article investigates the role of universities in the economic development of American metropolitan regions during the Great Recession (2007–2009) and the growth period prior to it (2001–2007). It develops a supply‐side conceptual framework on the role of universities in technology‐led regional economic development. Specifically, this framework highlights three “university products” that can be explicitly defined and measured: educational services, business services, and new knowledge or technology. The empirical test of this conceptual framework finds that the presence of universities is positively associated with regional economic performance during the Great Recession, mainly via the educational services product. Findings indicate that regions with a higher level of university science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates are more resilient to the economic recession.     

应用型地方高校食品专业本科生创新创业能力培养

作为应用型地方本科高校的改革试点,为了培养食品专业本科生的创新创业能力,许昌学院食品与药学院对食品专业培养方案、课程教学内容、教学方法、教学评价等进行了一系列的改革。采取的措施包括在培养方案中增加实验、实践内容;在列入教学计划的实验内容中增加综合性、设计性实验;增加校内外实习实训;针对学有余力的学生开设创新与实践课程,开设研究型实验;积极建设创新创业平台,提供创新创业培训,开展课外科研实践创新活动等。通过改革探索,建立了一条适合地方普通本科高校食品专业学生培养的道路,是"许昌模式"的重要组成部分。     

The Establishment of the Innovative and Practical Teaching Mode for Architecture Majors with the Help of “Schools-Enterprises-Governments-Research Institutions”

This paper focuses on the establishment of the teaching mode of innovative and practical architectural professionals, which is assisted by colleges and universities, enterprises, governments and research institutions. This paper believes that through the reform of the teaching mode, we can solve the problems such as the ivory-towered teaching of architecture in colleges and universities, the superficial teaching contents, inadequate teaching staff, students' poor innovation practice ability and tight professional funds. It is expected that this paper can provide assistance for architecture majors in the guidance of innovative ideas, the building of practical ability, and the establishment of knowledge system.     

IFT国际认证项目对食品科学与工程专业本科教学改革的启示

在"双一流"大学建设的时代背景下,以人才培养为核心的高校教育工作是当前高校的工作重心之一。为此,借鉴一些新的人才培养模式是更好地建设"双一流"大学的重要途径之一。IFT国际本科认证课程项目是目前国际上具有较高影响力的食品行业认证课程项目。简要介绍了该课程认证项目,并讨论其对高校本科教学中思维方式、课程改革理念、课程设置理念、学生能力培养等几个方面的启示,旨在为更好地培养"三创""三有"人才提供一些参考依据。     

基于三螺旋理论的农作物秸秆板产业化路径研究

中国农作物秸秆资源丰富, 以秸秆为原料的秸秆人造板作为新兴环保型产业, 其产业化具有重要现实意义, 因能有效解决秸秆露天焚烧引起的资源浪费与环境污染问题, 以及缓解木材供需矛盾而受到各方关注与重视。研究从中国农作物秸秆板产业化发展的现状出发, 通过对秸秆板产业化的支撑条件与不利因素分析, 以三螺旋理论为基础, 针对农作物秸秆板产业化过程中存在的若干问题, 从政府、 企业与科研机构 3个角度提出中国农作物秸秆人造板的发展路径。研究表明： 农作物秸秆板产业化的快速发展依赖于企业、 政府、 科研机构在发挥各自优势的基础上相互协作, 汇聚融合资金、 政策与人才优势来共同搭建创新协同平台, 集各方所长攻关难题瓶颈。     

An “Orphan” Creative Industry: Exploring the Institutional Factors Constraining the Canadian Fashion Industry

In recent years, tier‐two fashion countries have been making gains in the global fashion industry, with hip young brands, buzz‐worthy fashion weeks and export‐oriented designers. The Canadian fashion industry, on the other hand, continues to fall behind and instead has experienced recent high‐profile closures of leading domestic fashion names. This paper explores why this is the case by considering a wide range of factors from a historical and institutional perspective. We argue that Canadian fashion is facing a number of systemic problems relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses, rather than a lack of talent and know‐how within the entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector. While the fashion industry is indeed global, we argue that it is in fact national and local level factors—political, economic, and cultural—that structure and constrain the Canadian fashion industry for independent designers. Through exploring the experiences of this group of actors—entrepreneurial fashion designers—in this particular context, we not only learn about Canada as an economy but also what is needed in order to develop the fashion industry more broadly. We provide a framework for analysing the range of socio‐economic, historical, and political factors at the national level which affect the performance of the fashion sector and the operation of fashion designers as the entrepreneurial actors at the heart of the industry.